


3 AM

by anneapocalypse



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Break Up, Gen, Minor Agent Carolina/Vanessa Kimball, Past Agent Carolina/Agent York (Red vs. Blue), Post-Season/Series 17, RvB Pick 'n' Mix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27621851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anneapocalypse/pseuds/anneapocalypse
Summary: It’s three in the morning when Carolina gets the text. Which is fine. She’s awake.
Relationships: Dylan Andrews & Agent Carolina
Comments: 18
Kudos: 22
Collections: RvB Pick 'n' Mix





	3 AM

**Author's Note:**

> For [RvB Pick 'n' Mix](https://fanvsfic.tumblr.com/post/634863893435547648/rvb-pick-n-mix-is-here-remember-to-fanvsfic).
> 
> This fic now has a podfic by GodOfLaundryBaskets! If you'd like to listen instead, check the endnotes for a link.

It’s three in the morning when Carolina gets the text. Which is fine. She’s awake, and anyone who knows Carolina knows she’s awake, so she figures it’s Wash, or Tucker, or even Vanessa checking in after a very late Council session, and grabs her COM pad to look.

The number is unknown, but the notif shows her the first few words of the text: _Hi Carolina, it’s Dylan Andrews…_

Carolina unlocks the COM pad and thumbs through her contacts. Did Andrews change her number? She should be in there—

except they changed the timeline, so that call and their little conversation about art history never happened, and Carolina never saved her number. Right.

This still happens a lot. She’s trying to get used to it. They all are. Wash likes to tease her about it, says it’s nice to know he’s not the only one who can’t remember things right.

Carolina opens the full text.

_Hi Carolina, it’s Dylan Andrews, sorry to bother you so late and it’s fine if the answer is no, I was just wondering if you might have a couch I could crash on. It’s a long story. Sorry again to text so late out of nowhere._

Carolina texts back: _you’re on chorus?_

_yeah, I’ve been here a few days getting some quotes on the Hargrove proceedings. Was supposed to head out today._

_are you okay? need me to come pick you up?_

_i’m fine. just hotel snafu. i can get a cab. if it’s ok for me to come over that it. totally understand if it’s not._

Carolina squints at her COM pad.

_yeah, come on over._

A minute passes before the next text arrives.

_you’re an absolute lifesaver. mind texting me your address?_

Carolina spends the twenty minutes it takes Dylan to get to her apartment doing timeline review in her head. Okay, the last time she saw Dylan was on Earth, after Temple’s arrest. She hasn’t heard from her in the months since then.

Dylan arrives at her door with a carry-on-size black suitcase and one of those slim laptop backpacks. No armor, Carolina notices. Suppose it wouldn’t be necessary, when she’s not reporting on a war zone. She’s in navy blue slacks and a button-down shirt with a blue and white sweater vest, her dark hair loose over her shoulder. Dark circles under her brown eyes.

“Come on in,” Carolina says, gesturing a little awkwardly. What do you do when someone shows up to crash on your couch a few hours before dawn? Should she offer anything? “Are you hungry or anything?”

“I ate,” Dylan says, rolling her suitcase up to the couch. She sighs. “This is really weird of me, I’m sorry. My plans just got—kind of messed up. I’d just get another hotel, but—”

But there’s not a lot of public lodging on Chorus yet, period. They’re rebuilding, slowly, but Nova Armonia lacks a lot of the conveniences you’d find in a typical colony city.

“It’s okay,” Carolina says. “Really. Sit. Do you want something to drink? I have soda, water—”

“I'm okay.”

Carolina stands there for another moment trying to decide what to do here, and then finally gives up and says, “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Dylan sighs. “Yeah. I’m okay. ...I think I might be getting a divorce.”

 _“Oh,”_ Carolina says, feeling the pieces slide into place.

“Yeah.”

Dylan is silent for a moment, turning her COM pad over in her hands like she doesn't know what else to do with them. Carolina knows the feeling.

She sets herself on the couch, and prompts, “Did you have a fight?”

“It wasn’t a fight,” Dylan says sadly. “It’s never a fight. He never wants to fight. _I_ don’t want to fight. I just…” She spreads her hands helplessly. “I just don’t want to go home. That sounds terrible! There’s nothing _wrong_ with him, I just… There’s nothing wrong with him, Carolina. It’s me.”

Carolina nods slowly.

“James is a good guy,” Dylan says mournfully. “He’s _always_ been. I _like_ him. I liked working with him, I like spending time with him, we used to have so much _fun_ and I thought that was enough. But it’s not. It’s not enough for him. He says I’m away all the time, that we don’t act like people who are married.”

Carolina takes a deep breath. “Oh, boy.”

“What?”

“Nothing. You were saying.”

“I don’t know what I was saying.” Dylan shakes her head. “I don’t know! I thought I loved him, but I don’t—I don’t think what I think is love is enough for him. And I don’t know how to make it enough.”

“He doesn’t like that you’re away from home so much for work?”

“Yeah. But it’s more than that I think. Even when I’m home, it’s like… it’s like something doesn’t match. Doesn’t fit.”

“Yeah,” Carolina says quietly. “Sometimes it’s like that.”

Dylan looks at her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” The last thing Carolina wants to do tonight is talk about York. Better to leave it at _Yeah._ “You know, if you are... mismatched… it’s not your fault. Sometimes people just don’t work together.”

Dylan sighs. “I guess? I just feel like I’m supposed to feel lucky to have such a good guy. Everybody likes James."

"Woof," Carolina says. "I feel that one."

" _I_ like James," Dylan adds. "I just don’t… it’s not even that I don’t love him! I don’t know! I just don’t feel whatever he wants me to feel.” She shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I'm taking advantage of your hospitality _and_ keeping you awake."

"I'd be up anyway," Carolina says, and it's true, she would. "If you need to talk…" Listening. She can do that much. She can be good at this. "It's really okay."

"I should get some sleep, honestly," Dylan says, stifling a yawn. "I've been up since… oh god. I don't even know. Early."

Carolina suppresses a laugh. "Yeah, I hear that. You sure you don't need anything before bed? Snacks? Glass of water?"

"Water would be good, if you don't mind—"

"Not even a little bit," Carolina says, grateful for a reason to move, to do something with her hands, to be actually _helpful._ She goes to the adjoined kitchen, drops some ice in a plastic tumbler and fills it from the tap.

While Dylan sips from the glass, Carolina finds a spare pillow and blanket for the couch. "Bathroom's—well, right there." Her apartment's not large. "Sleep in if you want. I don't have plans until lunch, you can come with if you want, there's a few good places to eat downtown."

Dylan sets down the glass. "Thanks."

"Hey," Carolina says in spite of herself. "It's—it's gonna be okay, Andrews. I know it feels like shit right now, and it might for a while, but… you're gonna be okay. Even if the whole marriage thing doesn't work out. You've got a lot else going for you. You'll get through this."

Dylan gives her a wan but grateful smile. "Thanks a lot, Carolina. Really."

"Plus," Carolina adds with a wink, "if you come to lunch tomorrow, you _might_ get an impromptu exclusive with the President. Do not tell her I told you that."

A truly genuine grin bursts across Dylan's face. "I will be the most surprised."

"Good," Carolina says with a smile, before retreating to her bedroom. "'Night, Andrews."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] 3 AM](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29738004) by [GoLBPodfics (GodOfLaundryBaskets)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodOfLaundryBaskets/pseuds/GoLBPodfics)




End file.
